GM recalls may be reason to stall some used-car sales

Chevrolet Cobalt is displayed at the Sierra Chevrolet auto dealership on March 2, 2010 in Monrovia, California.

David McNew

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Car owners trying to unload a vehicle impacted by the massive General Motors recalls might be better off waiting a few months, one auto trading expert said.

Congress members and car owners alike are blasting GM after questions emerged over whether the company could have done more to prevent at least 13 reported deaths linked to problematic engine switches.

The company has issued recalls for more than 2 million cars since February.

But history shows recalls do not tend to cause lasting effects on a vehicle value, Alec Gutierrez, senior market analyst for Kelley Blue Book said. The intense coverage, however, might make it difficult for car owners to get full value this weekend.

“If you’re trying to sell those cars right now, my guess is you’re not going to get top dollar for your car,” Gutierrez said.

Gutierrez, however, pointed to what happened to Toyota vehicles after the company recalled millions of vehicles in 2009-10. He said cars sold for about 1-2 percent less in the short term but the recalls had no long-term impact on resales.

“We didn’t really see much of an impact at all,” Gutierrez said.

RECALLED CARS

Here is a list of recalls impacting more than 40,000 cars since Feb. 10.